Second Montana Ski Resort Looks To Turn Wastewater Into Powder

by Justin Franz Montana Free Press

The Spanish Peaks Mountain Club in Big Sky has asked for a permit from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to let it turn wastewater into snow for skiing and snowboarding. The private club is the second Montana ski area to try and implement snowmaking technology that proponents say is good for the environment and skiers amid a warming climate.

More than a dozen ski areas in eight states, plus some in Canada, Switzerland and Australia, use wastewater to make powder. This past winter, the Yellowstone Club near Big Sky became the first in Montana to turn what was once sewage into snow.

The Spanish Peaks Mountain Club and Yellowstone Club share a common parent company, CrossHarbor Capital Partners, but they operate as se...